No. 17 Huskers Hope to Knock Off No. 9 Penn State on Big MondayThe No. 17 Nebraska women’s basketball team takes aim at its eighth consecutive win when the Huskers take on No. 9 Penn State on Monday in Lincoln.

Tip-off between the Huskers (20-5, 10-3 Big Ten) and Lady Lions (21-5, 12-2 Big Ten) is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Pinnacle Bank Arena, and tickets are available now at Huskers.com. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2 as part of its Big Monday package with Beth Mowins and Stephanie White on the call. Live radio coverage will be provided by the Husker Sports Network with Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch calling the action for flagships B107.3 FM in Lincoln, The Wolf 93.3 FM in Omaha and 880 AM KRVN in Lexington. A free live audio stream will be available on Huskers.com.

The Huskers notched their seventh straight win to extend their overall February winning streak to 14 games with a 67-59 victory at Ohio State on Thursday night. All-American Jordan Hooper continued her hot February with 24 points and five three-pointers. The 6-2 senior from Alliance, Neb., has hit 14-of-26 threes over the last three games. During that stretch she has taken over the Nebraska career record for three-pointers made (275) and moved into the top five in Big Ten history.

Hooper, who is one of just five players in Big Ten history to produce 2,000 points and 1,000 career rebounds, is in position to cross the 2,200-point mark against Penn State, after surging past Stephanie White (2,182, Purdue, 1996-99) into the No. 11 spot on the Big Ten career scoring list. Hooper needs two rebounds against Penn State to pass Karisma Penn (1,043, Illinois, 2010-13) at No. 11 on the Big Ten career rebound list.

The current leader in on-line voting for the Senior CLASS Award, Hooper is averaging 23 points per game and shooting 46.3 percent from long range during Nebraska’s seven-game winning streak.

Huskers Notch History-Making Third Straight 20-Win SeasonNebraska secured its third consecutive 20-win campaign with a 67-59 win at Ohio State Thursday. It marked the first time in program history that the Huskers have produced three straight 20-win seasons.

Coach Connie Yori is in the midst of leading the Huskers to the most successful era in school history. The 2013-14 Huskers are 20-5 overall and 10-3 in the Big Ten while riding a seven-game winning streak. It marks the third straight season that NU has won 10 or more Big Ten Conference games. The 2012-13 Nebraska squad earned its second NCAA Sweet 16 selection in the past four years, while rolling to 25 wins - the second-highest victory total in school history. The 2011-12 Huskers worked their way to 24 victories, which ranks as the third-highest win total in school history.

Nebraska, which locked up its sixth 20-win season in the past eight years, had managed only five 20-win seasons in the previous 26 years before Yori led the Huskers to 22 wins in 2006-07. It is NU’s 15th 20-win season in the 39th full year of women’s basketball as a varsity sport.

Nebraska owns four 20-win seasons in the last five years, which has included the three top victory totals in school history, including an NU-record 32 wins in 2009-10. Prior to Yori’s arrival in 2002-03, NU’s record for single-season wins was 23 (1978-79, 1979-80, 1992-93, 1997-98).

Huskers Claim Third Consecutive 10-Win Big Ten CampaignNebraska has posted its third straight 10-win Big Ten season in its third year in the conference. Nebraska went 12-4 in 2013, after producing a 10-6 conference mark in its first Big Ten season in 2012.

With three games to play in the conference, the Huskers have joined Michigan State (10-3) and Penn State (12-2) across the 10-win mark for the third straight year.

The Spartans own the longest active streak of double-digit Big Ten wins, dating back 12 seasons to a six-win campaign in 2001-02. Penn State has produced four consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins.

Purdue owns three straight seasons with double-figure league wins. The Boilermakers head into Sunday’s home game against Wisconsin with a 9-5 mark. Purdue closes at home against Nebraska March 2.

A Closer Look at Nebraska’s Seven-Game Winning StreakNebraska has unleashed seven straight wins that began with an 84-51 victory over Michigan in Game No. 19 on Jan. 29. That game, which may have been the Huskers’ most complete game of the season, included a pregame talk and jersey retirement for 2010 All-American and Senior CLASS Award winner Kelsey Griffin.

After double-digit wins over the Wolverines (84-51) and on the road at Iowa (80-67, Feb. 1), the Huskers escaped from Wisconsin with a 71-70 overtime victory Feb. 5. After a 20-point home win over Michigan State (76-56, Feb. 8), Nebraska completed a season sweep at Michigan (76-68, Feb. 13). NU rolled to another double-digit win over Indiana (76-61, Feb. 16) at Pinnacle Bank Arena, before using a strong second half to rally for a 67-59 victory at Ohio State Feb. 20.

Nebraska has won its three home games during its current winning streak by an average of 22.7 points per game. The Huskers have won their four road games by an average of 7.5 points per contest. Overall, NU has outscored the opposition 75.7-61.7 during the streak, while posting a plus-5.4 rebounding margin and a plus-3.4 turnover margin.

Last season, Nebraska reeled off 10 consecutive wins beginning with Game No. 19 at Minnesota on Jan. 20, 2012.

Vote Hooper for Senior CLASS AwardNebraska All-American Jordan Hooper was chosen as one of 10 finalists for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award, when selections were announced on Feb. 12.

Hooper, a 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., ranks second in Husker history in points, rebounds and double-doubles and is the school record holder with 270 three-pointers. She is also one of just five players in Big Ten history to achieve the combined milestones of 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

A candidate for the Wade, Naismith and Wooden National Player-of-the-Year awards, Hooper is trying to become the second Husker women’s basketball player to win the Senior CLASS Award in the last five years, joining 2010 winner Kelsey Griffin.

The award recognizes outstanding commitment by a senior student-athlete in the areas of competition, character, the classroom and in the community. Fans can vote on the award once per day per device by visiting SeniorCLASSAward.com. Fan votes will join choices by media and coaches as the determining factors in selecting a winner, which will be announced at the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

Husker fans can vote for Hooper now through March 24. As of Noon on Feb. 21, Hooper was leading the fan vote with more than 32 percent of the overall vote among the 10 candidates.

Huskers Hope to Continue Fabulous February in Big TenNebraska has opened February with six straight wins, stretching its February winning streak to 14 games. NU’s last February loss came at Michigan State on Feb. 23, 2012. Nebraska is 16-4 overall, including 7-2 at home and 9-2 on the road in February as a member of the Big Ten.

The Huskers, who carry a seven-game overall winning streak on the season into Monday night’s game with Penn State, had a 10-game winning streak come to an end last season with an 82-57 loss to the Lady Lions on March 3, 2013.

NCAA Announces Game Time Changes for Lincoln RegionalThe NCAA announced two game time changes on Wednesday, Feb. 12, for Nebraska’s NCAA Lincoln Regional semifinals at Pinnacle Bank Arena on March 29. Tip time for regional semifinal game one has moved to 3:30 p.m., while semifinal game has shifted to 6 p.m.

Those game times were previously announced as 5:30 and 8 p.m. and printed in various advertisements, season schedules and on the actual game tickets. Fans are encouraged to check Huskers.com for current information and any additional event changes before attending the games, March 29 and 31.

• Hooper has hit more three-pointers (275) than any forward/center in Big Ten history.

• Hooper was named one of 10 finalists for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award for women’s basketball on Feb. 12. Fans can vote for Hooper daily at SeniorCLASSAward.com through March 24. Women’s basketball All-American Kelsey Griffin won Nebraska’s first-ever Senior CLASS Award across all sports in 2010. Volleyball All-American Gina Mancuso added an award in 2012.

• Hooper has averaged 23 points during NU’s seven-game winning streak, including 31 points and a season-high six three-pointers in the win over Indiana Feb. 16. It was Hooper’s third 30-point game of the season and ninth of her career. Hooper ranks No. 2 at Nebraska in career points (2,189), trailing only 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings (2,405) on the Husker career scoring list.

• Hooper ranks second on the Nebraska career rebound chart with 1,042. Janet Smith owns the NU career record with 1,280 rebounds.

• Hooper is the third Husker and fifth Big Ten player in history to reach the combined career milestones of 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She is one of five active NCAA Division I players to reach those marks.

• Hooper owns 36 career double-doubles, tying 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings in second on the NU all-time list. Hooper needs four to tie Kelsey Griffin’s school record of 40. Hooper and teammate Emily Cady (11) are the only Huskers in history to produce double-digit double-doubles in the same season.

• Hooper (1,042) is one of just 16 players in Big Ten history to reach 1,000 rebounds. She needs one rebound against Penn State to catch Karisma Penn (Illinois, 2010-13) in 11th on the Big Ten career list.

• Hooper ranks No. 9 nationally among all active NCAA Division I players with 2,189 career points. She ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten in scoring and No. 32 nationally with 20.2 points per game this season.

• Through games Feb. 20, Hooper ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 69th nationally with 9.2 rebounds per game. With 1,042 career rebounds, Hooper its tied for No. 14 among all active NCAA Division I players.

• Hooper is expected to make her 124th consecutive start in Monday’s game against Penn State. Kelsey Griffin (2007-10) ranks second with 127, while Lindsey Moore (2010-13) owns Nebraska’s career record with 132.

• Hooper has played more minutes than any forward or center in Nebraska history. She enters the Penn State game with 3,747 minutes played, which ranks fourth overall on the NU chart. Hooper needs to play 51 minutes to catch Nicole Kubik (3,798, 1997-00) in third. Karen Jennings ranks second among forwards/center in minutes played at NU with 3,369.

• With one assist at Michigan, Hooper increased her single-season high to 29. She has four more than her freshman and sophomore seasons combined (25), and seven more than she distributed in 2012-13.

• Hooper has scored in double figures in 108 of her 123 career games, including 47 20-point performances. She owns nine career 30-point efforts, including 33 points and 14 boards against Utah State (Dec. 8), 31 points and six threes against Indiana (Feb. 16) and 30 points and 11 rebounds against ORU (Dec. 29) this season. She has grabbed double-digit rebounds 42 times, including 12 this year.

• Cady ranks second in the Big Ten with 11 double-doubles on the season. Cady owns seven double-doubles in Big Ten play.

• Cady notched her seventh Big Ten double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Indiana on Sunday. She had 10 points and 11 rebounds at Wisconsin Feb. 5. Cady had 12 points and 10 rebounds at Northwestern Jan. 26, after scoring 13 points and grabbing a career-high-tying 16 rebounds against Purdue Jan. 19. That followed a season-high 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists in the win over Minnesota on Jan. 16. She had 19 points and 10 rebounds at Illinois to go along with 16 points and 12 boards at Michigan State.

• Cady owns 19 career double-doubles, which ranks eighth all-time at Nebraska. Cady needs two more double-doubles to catch Maurtice Ivy (1985-88) and Deb Powell (1982-85) in a tie for sixth with 21.

• Cady enters the Penn State game with 720 rebounds to rank ninth all-time at Nebraska. She needs 30 boards to catch Debra Powell (750, 1982-85) in eighth on the NU all-time list.

• Cady needs 37 points to become the 29th player in Nebraska history to score 1,000 in her career.

• Cady, who owns 963 points, 720 rebounds, 195 assists and 105 steals, needs 37 points and five assists to become just the third player in Nebraska history with 1,000 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 career steals, joining Maurtice Ivy and Anna DeForge.

• Cady ranks 10th in NU history with 81 career blocks. She needs seven more to catch Casey Leonhardt (88, 2000-01) in ninth on the Husker career chart. Only seven Huskers have 100 career blocks.

• No player in Husker history has 1,000 points, 900 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks.

#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, So., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (13.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.5 apg)• One of the best young point guards in the nation, Rachel Theriot is averaging 15.5 points and 7.4 assists in Big Ten play. She is averaging 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists on the year.

• Theriot is coming off back-to-back 20-point efforts, including 26 points, a career-high-matching seven rebounds and four assists in Thursday’s win at Ohio State. She also had 26 points, six boards, eight assists, two steals and one block in the win over Indiana Sunday. It was her 18th double-figure scoring effort of the season and 25th of her career. She had a career-high 33 points in an overtime win over Minnesota (Jan. 16). It topped her previous season and career high of 28 points at Utah (Nov. 15), when she added a career-best seven rebounds.

• Theriot just missed her third double-double with nine points and a career-high 12 assists in NU’s 76-56 win over No. 24 Michigan State at Pinnacle Bank Arena Feb. 8. She notched her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 assists against Michigan on Jan. 29. She added her second double-double with 10 points and 11 assists at Wisconsin Feb. 5.

• Theriot enters the Penn State game with 162 assists to rank No. 3 on Nebraska’s sophomore assist list. Meggan Yedsena owns the Nebraska sophomore record (195, 1991-92) while Lindsey Moore (183, 2010-11) carries the second-best assist total by a sophomore in school history.

• Theriot earned the first Big Ten Player-of-the-Week award of her career on Jan. 20, after averaging 26.0 points and 6.5 assists against Minnesota and Purdue. She produced a career-high 33 points along with nine assists without committing a turnover in an 88-85 OT win over Minnesota Jan. 16. She scored 21 points after halftime, including 17 in the second half to lead NU back from a 14-point deficit with 13:40 to play. Theriot added four in overtime, including two free throws with 14.9 seconds left to seal the win.

• Theriot ranks third in the Big Ten and 10th nationally with 6.5 assists per game, including 7.4 assists per game in Big Ten play. She has produced back-to-back 100-assist seasons and owns 263 in her career. She needs 42 more assists to crack Nebraska’s career top 10 (Lis Brenden, 10th, 305, 1993-96).

• Theriot has 339 points and 162 assists through 25 games. Last season, she had 211 points and 101 assists in 34 games, including 28 starts.

• In Big Ten play, Theriot leads the league with 39.5 minutes per game. She has played the full 45 minutes in both of NU’s overtime wins in conference play, and the full 40 against Northwestern (Jan. 2), Purdue (Jan. 19), at Michigan (Feb. 13), and Indiana (Feb. 16), at Ohio State (Feb. 20). In the last five games, Theriot has played 202 minutes. She has played all but seven minutes during the month of February.

• Laudermill produced double figures in seven straight games until being limited to four points against Indiana. She had a career-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field with four threes in the win at Iowa Feb. 1. She added 21 points and a career-high five threes at Wisconsin Feb. 5.

• Laudermill has five games with 15 or more points in the last nine contests. Prior to the stretch, she had scored a career-high 15 points just once (Creighton, Dec. 14, 2013) in the first 78 games of her career.

• Laudermill has scored in double figures in nine of 13 conference games.

• Laudermill has produced double figures 14 times this season - all in the last 21 games. She had just four double-figure efforts in the first 65 games of her career.

• Laudermill ranks fourth among the Huskers with 10 blocked shots this season. She produced five blocked shots in the first 62 games of her career, all coming last season.

• Laudermill is Nebraska’s No. 2 active career three-point shooter with 75 makes. She needs 21 more threes to crack NU’s career top 10. Her 38 made three-pointers this season are a career single-season high and trail only Jordan Hooper’s 60 among the Huskers. Laudermill’s 38.8 percent three-point shooting also is a career-best.

• Sample is averaging 7.4 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 50 percent the last seven games. Sample also has hit 14-of-18 free throws (.778) over the last seven games. In two games against Michigan this season, Sample went 8-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 at the free throw line.

• Sample carries averages of 6.3 points and 6.1 rebounds, while ranking third on the team with 2.4 assists. She produced double figures for the seventh time this season with 12 points, four rebounds and two assists at Michigan Feb. 13. She had 10 points and seven rebounds at Wisconsin Feb. 5. She also had 10 points and six boards at Iowa Feb. 1. She had 12 points against No. 22 Purdue Jan. 19. She had a season-high 13 points in a win over Creighton on Dec. 14, after producing back-to-back double-digit efforts against Washington State and at North Carolina. Sample owns 13 career double-figure scoring performances, including a career-high 20 points at Creighton last season.

• Sample ranks 11th in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds (2.2 rpg).

• With 19 steals this season, Sample has surpassed her season total of 11 from a year ago.

• Sample needs six points and five rebounds to match her season totals from a year ago. She has posted a career best in assists (60) and needs a block and a steal to produce career marks in those categories.

Husker Headliners• Nebraska’s front line players Jordan Hooper, Emily Cady and Hailie Sample are expected to make their 93rd consecutive starts together on Monday against Penn State. The group is averaging 39.6 points and 24.8 rebounds per game this season.

• Emily Cady, Hailie Sample and Rachel Theriot have combined to step up their production from a year ago. The trio combined for just 487 points in NU’s first 25 games (19.5 ppg) last season compared to 825 points in 25 contests (33 ppg) this season - combining for 13.5 more points per game than 2012-13.

• Junior guard Brandi Jeffery started NU’s first three games. She missed the Southern game with an injury but has returned for Nebraska’s last 21 games. She is Nebraska’s top guard off the bench and has scored in double figures three times, including 10 points against No. 24 Michigan State Feb. 8.

• Nebraska ranks No. 9 nationally with 96,159 fans at home this season. The Huskers rank 10th nationally with an average home attendance of 6,010 per game. The Huskers drew 10 of the top-16 non-conference home crowds in school history this season, including a record 9,750 vs. UCLA (Nov. 8).

• Nebraska has sold more than 4,200 all-session tickets for the NCAA Lincoln Regional (March 29-31).

• Nebraska recognized 2013 All-American Lindsey Moore during the Oral Roberts game (Dec. 29) for her part in helping the Minnesota Lynx to the 2013 WNBA title. The first-round pick in the WNBA Draft returned to Lincoln from her professional team in Italy to receive a minute-long standing ovation.

• Nebraska retired 2010 All-American Kelsey Griffin’s jersey at the Michigan game (Jan. 29). The 2010 Senior CLASS Award winner and Nebraska Female Student-Athlete of the Year had her number raised at Pinnacle Bank Arena, but not permanently retired. Current Husker Emily Cady shares Griffin’s No. 23. Griffin, a four-year WNBA veteran, made a return trip to Lincoln from her club team in Australia.

• The Huskers have advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 twice in the last four seasons (2010, 2013).

• Coach Connie Yori is the winningest coach in Husker history (235 victories) and has won conference coach-of-the-year honors in the Big Ten (2013), Big 12 (2012) and Missouri Valley (2002). She was the national coach-of-the-year in 2010.

Scouting the Penn State Lady LionsCoquese Washington brings Penn State to Lincoln on top of the Big Ten standings with a 12-2 record. The Lady Lions can clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title with a win over the Huskers on Monday.

PSU is led by an experienced backcourt that features three senior starters, including 2013 Big Ten Player of the Year Maggie Lucas. The 5-10 guard ranks second in the Big Ten with 21.8 points per game, while leading the nation with her 96.3 free throw percentage. A tremendous long-range shooter, Lucas leads Penn State with 60 three-pointers and 352 in her career. She needs five more to match the Penn State and Big Ten record of 357 held by Kelly Mazzante (2001-04). Last season, Lucas locked up her conference player-of-the-year award with a 34-point effort and a building record eight threes in the final game in the history of the Devaney Center.

Dara Taylor adds more experience, steadiness, explosiveness and chemistry in the Penn State backcourt. A high school club teammate of Lucas, the 5-8 point guard is averaging 11.7 points, 4.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game. A strong candidate for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Taylor not only dictates for the Lady Lions on offense, but applies controlling pressure on the ball while hawking the passing lanes on the defensive end.

Ariel Edwards, a 6-3 senior swing player, gives Penn State a long, athletic presence on the wing. Edwards ranks second on the team with 14.3 points while also ranking second on the squad with 6.0 rebounds per game. She also ranks second on the team with 2.5 assists per contest.

Inside, senior Talia East helps give Penn State one of the Big Ten’s most experienced starting fives. East, a 6-3 forward/center averages 7.7 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds while leading the Lady Lions with tying fellow post Tori Waldner for the team lead with 35 blocked shots. Waldner, a 6-5 forward/center, provides PSU with formidable size while adding 5.3 points and 5.8 boards per contest.

The Lady Lions average 75.7, while surrendering 64.9 points per game. Not only does PSU own a plus-10.8 scoring margin, but an impressive plus-7.3 team rebound margin. Penn State shoots 41.7 percent from the field, while holding opponents to 35.9 percent from the field. PSU is also the least-reliant team in the Big Ten on the three-point shot, making just 3.5 per game while hitting just 31.3 percent. But the Lady Lions hold the opposition to 29.4 percent shooting from long range. PSU has also dominated at the foul line, scoring nearly 500 points at the stripe this season.Nebraska vs. Penn State Series HistoryPenn State leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 5-1, including each of the last three games. The Lady Lions captured the last meeting with an 82-67 win over the Huskers on March 3, 2013 in the last women’s basketball game at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

PSU’s Maggie Lucas produced one of the top individual efforts in the history of the Devaney Center with 34 points and a building-record eight three-pointers on 13 attempts. She also grabbed nine rebounds.

Lindsey Moore led the Huskers with 23 points, while Emily Cady added 15 points and 10 rebounds and Jordan Hooper just missed a double-double with 14 points and nine boards in the loss.

Penn State completed the sweep in the season series after running to an 80-58 win over NU in State College on Jan. 13, 2013. PSU also defeated NU 93-73 in Lincoln on Jan. 15, 2012, after the Huskers won their first-ever Big Ten game at the Bryce Jordan Center, 71-63, on Dec. 30, 2011.

Penn State won both non-conference meetings in history between the two teams, starting with a 102-66 win at State College on Jan. 2, 1993. The Lady Lions added an 83-64 win over the Huskers on Dec. 30, 2002, in Coach Connie Yori’s first season at Nebraska.Huskers Rally to Beat Buckeyes, 67-59No. 17 Nebraska used a 17-0 run late in the second half to battle back from a nine-point deficit for a 67-59 victory at Ohio State Thursday. In a strange game that included an administrative technical on the Huskers before the game tipped off and major runs by both teams, the Huskers found a way to win their seventh straight. With the victory, Nebraska notched its third consecutive 20-win campaign for the first time in program history.

Ohio native Rachel Theriot led the Big Red with 26 points while matching her career high with seven rebounds. She added four assists and closed the game by hitting six straight free throws to seal the win.

Jordan Hooper added 24 points, including five three-pointers, while pulling down seven rebounds and grabbing a team-high three steals. Hooper hit three of her three-pointers in the final 10 minutes of the game, including two to help ignite the Huskers after a 16-2 OSU surge that gave the Buckeyes their biggest lead at 50-41. Hooper scored seven points during the decisive run.

Tear’a Laudermill added all six of her points in the final five minutes, including the go-ahead three-pointer to put NU up 54-52 with 3:46 left. Emily Cady and Hailie Sample each contributed 11 rebounds, as NU produced a 44-34 edge with 19 offensive rebounds.

Double Trouble: Hooper, Cady Making History TogetherEmily Cady scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for her 11th double-double in Nebraska’s win over Indiana Feb. 16. It followed her 10 points and 11 rebounds at Wisconsin Feb. 5, which gave her 10 double-doubles on the season to join fellow forward Jordan Hooper in Husker history. Hooper, who owns 10 double-doubles this season, and Cady are the first teammates in Nebraska history to each produce double-digit double-doubles in the same season.

Hooper, who earned her 10th double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds at Iowa on Feb. 1, has produced double-digit double-doubles for the second time in her career after producing 14 as a sophomore in 2011-12. Hooper added nine double-doubles last year and is tied for second in school history with 36 in her career, matching 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jenning. Hooper, Jennings and Kelsey Griffin are the only Huskers in history to produce 10 or more double-doubles twice in their NU careers.

Cady’s 11 double-doubles this season made her just the sixth Husker in history to produce 10 or more double-doubles in a season, joining Hooper (14, 2011-12; 10, 2013-14), Griffin (10, 2006-07; 20, 2009-10), Jennings (13, 1990-91; 13, 1991-92); Nafeesah Brown (16, 1993-94), Maurtice Ivy (10, 1985-86) and Carol Garey (10, 1978-79). Nebraska players have produced double-digit double-doubles in a season just 10 times in history. Hooper Named to Wooden Midseason Top 20, Naismith Top 30

Two-time All-American Jordan Hooper was one of 21 players chosen to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 and the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30 in recent weeks. Hooper is also a member of the Wade Watch List in 2014.

Hooper, a 6-2 senior forward from Alliance, Neb., is a two-time WBCA and Associated Press honorable-mention All-American and a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection. She is just the third player in Nebraska history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in her career, joining 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings and 2010 first-team WBCA All-American Kelsey Griffin. Hooper, who has scored 2,189 points and pulled down 1,042 rebounds in starting the first 123 games of her Husker career, broke the school’s three-point record with 275. Hooper has averaged nearly 72 three-pointers per season at Nebraska, including 81 a year ago when she helped shoot the Huskers to the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16.

Over the summer, Hooper helped the USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team to a gold medal in Kazan, Russia. In the championship, Hooper earned a start and scored nine points while grabbing nine rebounds while going head-to-head against several members of Russia’s 2012 Olympic Team.

Hooper was one of three players from the Big Ten to earn mention on the Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 and the Wade and Naismith preseason lists, joining Penn State’s Maggie Lucas and Minnesota’s Rachel Banham.

Nebraska Celebrates Season One at New ArenaNebraska celebrates its first season in Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013-14. The arena, located in the historic Haymarket in downtown Lincoln just steps away from the Nebraska campus, will serve as the new home for Husker men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The $179 million project was completed in the summer of 2013 after being approved by voters in May of 2010. A ribbon cutting ceremony that included Governor Dave Heineman, Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler, UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman, Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst and Husker coaches Connie Yori and Tim Miles, tipped off the opening of the new arena in late August.

The 470,400-square foot arena project has sparked a revitalization of the Haymarket District, including the addition of several new hotels and upscale housing options. It also has added the Railyard, an outdoor entertainment area adjacent to the arena. The Railyard includes “The Cube” a massive outdoor screen that will serve as a hub for other entertainment options.

In “Season One” at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Husker women’s basketball program has experienced more than a 50 percent increase in season ticket sales, surpassing the 3,200 mark. The number shattered NU’s previous season ticket record.

The women’s program was also selected as one of four NCAA Regional hosts for the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Huskers will play host to the NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds at Pinnacle Bank Arena, March 29-31. Nebraska has advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in two of the past four seasons, but Lincoln has not played host to an NCAA Tournament game in men’s or women’s basketball since 1993.

On the men’s side, the Huskers have sold out for the season, guaranteeing a school-record average of more than 15,000 per game in their first year at the arena.

Hooper Creating Historic Husker CareerSenior Jordan Hooper is leaving a legacy of success at Nebraska, while making her mark on the national landscape. The 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., ranks No. 9 among active NCAA Division I scorers with 2,189 career points. She is tied for No. 14 among active Division I rebounders with 1,042 career boards. Hooper is No. 7 among active career three-point shooters with 275 makes and is one of only two forwards among the top 25, joining UConn’s Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (251).

Hooper is one of only five active Division I players to achieve career milestones of 2,000 points and 1,000 career rebounds.

She ranks No. 5 in career field goal attempts (1,911), No. 7 in career three-point field goal attempts (804) and tied for No. 11 in career field goals made (760) among all active NCAA Division I players.

Hooper Joins Big Ten All-Time EliteJordan Hooper became just the fifth player in Big Ten Conference history to achieve combined career milestones of 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, when she pulled down her 1,000th career board in the second half of Nebraska’s win over Michigan on Jan. 29. She enters the Penn State game with 2,189 points and 1,042 career rebounds, joining just four other Big Ten players - Jessica Davenport and Jantel Lavender from Ohio State, Jenna Smith from Illinois and Laura Coenen from Minnesota - in achieving the dual milestones.

Lavender (2008-11) scored 2,818 points and grabbed 1,422 rebounds, while Davenport (2004-07) had 2,303 points and 1,094 rebounds for the Buckeyes. Smith (2007-10) produced 2,160 points and 1,217 rebounds for the Fighting Illini, while Coenen (1982-85) was the first Big Ten player to achieve the marks with 2,044 points and 1,029 rebounds for the Golden Gophers.

Hooper, who is on track to rank among the top 10 career scorers and rebounders in Big Ten history, would join Davenport, Lavender and Smith as the only players in Big Ten history to rank among the top 10 on both lists. All three of those players were chosen in the top 15 in their respective WNBA Drafts.

Cady, Theriot Making Strong Cases for All-Big Ten AwardsEmily Cady is a two-time honorable-mention All-Big Ten pick who is making an impressive case for bigger honors as a junior. The 6-2 forward from Seward, Neb., enters the Ohio State game ranked second in the Big Ten with 11 double-doubles, including seven in conference play. Cady is one of only three players averaging better than 10 rebounds per game in league play.

Overall, Cady ranks third in the Big Ten in rebounding (10.4 rpg), third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0-to-1), eighth in assists (4.1 apg) and 21st in scoring (12.9 ppg) in Big Ten play. She also ranks among the top players in the conference overall in field goal percentage (7th, .512) and free throw percentage (8th, .853).

Sophomore Rachel Theriot also has been a dominant player for the Huskers in the Big Ten. The 6-0 point guard from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, ranks ninth in conference games-only with a 15.5 points per game. She leads the Big Ten with her 2.7-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and her 39.5 minutes per game. She also ranks second in the conference with 7.4 assists per game.

Both Cady and Theriot were Big Ten All-Freshman selections early in their careers. Cady was chosen to the All-Freshman Team in 2011-12, while Theriot earned a spot in 2012-13.

Husker Front Line to Make 93rd Straight Starts TogetherNebraska’s starting forwards of Jordan Hooper (123), Emily Cady (92) and Hailie Sample (92) have joined each other in the Huskers’ starting five for 92 consecutive games.

The inside trio has been joined in the Husker starting lineup for each of the last 53 games by Rachel Theriot. Brandi Jeffery started the first three games of 2013-14 with the quartet, after starting the first three games of 2012-13 with Hooper, Cady and Sample before being replaced in the starting five by Theriot. Tear’a Laudermill has taken over the starting role the past 22 games.

Consistent starting lineups are nothing new for the Huskers under Coach Connie Yori. In 2011-12, fifth-year senior guard Kaitlyn Burke joined Moore, Hooper, Cady and Sample in NU’s starting lineup for every game. Three times in Yori’s first 12 seasons at Nebraska, the Huskers have used the same starting five for every game in a season, including all 33 games in 2011-12. The 2006-07 Huskers featured the same starting five for 32 games on their way to a 22-10 season and the NCAA Tournament. Yori’s 2003-04 Huskers also used the same starting five for 30 games on their way to an 18-12 season and a WNIT bid.A full year with the same starting five is rare in women’s college basketball. In fact, Nebraska was the only Big Ten team to feature the same starting five throughout 2011-12, and was one of only three teams in the 2012 NCAA Tournament to start the same five every game. Kansas State and BYU were the others.

Over the past nine seasons, Nebraska has used only 22 different starting lineups in 284 games.

Hooper Sets Husker Career Three-Point RecordWith five three-pointers at Ohio State Feb. 20, All-American Jordan Hooper pushed the Nebraska career three-point record to 275. She hit a season-high six threes to pass Kiera Hardy’s previous school record of 267 (2004-07). No other Husker has hit 200 threes.

Hooper, who hit 67 three-pointers in each of her first two seasons as a Husker, knocked down 81 in 2012-13, to match Hardy’s 2005-06 total for the most by a junior in school history.

Hooper did not attempt a three-pointer on her way to a 33-point, 14-rebound performance against Utah State Dec. 8. It is the only game in Hooper’s career without a three-point attempt. She also went without hitting a three in Nebraska’s win over Creighton on Dec. 14. It marked just the second time in her career that she went without a made three-pointer in consecutive games, joining a home game against Kansas (0-2) on Jan. 16, 2010, and a road game at Kansas State (0-3) on Jan. 22, 2010 during her freshman season.

This season Hooper has hit three or more threes in a game on 11 occasions.Hooper Puts Up Double-Doubles at Record RateJordan Hooper is tied for second all-time at Nebraska with 36 career double-doubles, following her second straight double-double when she produced 25 points and 13 rebounds at Iowa on Feb. 1. It came after a 25-point, 10-rebound performance against Michigan on Jan. 29.

Hooper owns 10 double-doubles this season and four in Big Ten play. She also had 18 points, 10 rebounds against Minnesota on Jan. 16, and 14 points and 10 boards against Northwestern on Jan. 2.

She owns two huge doubles this season with 30 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 29 and 33 points, 14 rebounds in a win over Utah State on Dec. 8.

Hooper, who produced three double-doubles in Big Ten play in 2013, has produced some monstrous doubles in her career. In fact, 21 of her career double-doubles have included 20-point scoring efforts, including five of her eight career 30-point games.

Her 30th career double-double came with 24 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to Washington State on Nov. 30. Last season in a win at 2013 NCAA second-round participant South Florida, Hooper poured in 24 points and had 14 rebounds. The previous game against 2013 NCAA second-round participant Florida State, Hooper erupted for 36 points and 12 boards in a win on Dec. 8, 2012. She recorded her 20th career double-double with 29 points and 10 boards against Idaho State on Dec. 1, 2012.

In the 2012 Big Ten Tournament, Hooper produced three double-doubles in four games, including 25 points and 10 boards against No. 21 Purdue and 21 points and 10 rebounds against No. 14 Ohio State. Earlier in the 2011-12 season, Hooper had 19 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a win at Wisconsin on Feb. 19, 2012. She added 22 points and 15 rebounds against Iowa on Jan. 26, 2012.

Hooper led the Big Ten and ranked among the top 25 players nationally with 14 double-doubles in 2011-12. Hooper, who produced double figures in 32 of Nebraska’s 33 games, recorded 14 double-figure rebounding performances as a sophomore. Hooper’s 14 double-doubles ranked as the third-highest single-season total in school history, trailing only first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin’s 20 in 2009-10, and Nafeesah Brown’s 16 in 1993-94. Griffin and Brown were both seniors when they produced their impressive double-figure totals.

Hooper recorded double-doubles in a personal-best four straight games (Dec. 18, 2011-Jan. 5, 2012).

Big Red Playing Big on BoardsNebraska has produced a plus-6.6 rebounding margin over 25 games in 2013-14, outrebounding opponents by an average of 40.9-34.3. The Huskers are on track for the second-best rebounding margin in school history, trailing only the plus-8.6 margin put up by the 1997-98 Husker squad that advanced to the second round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament.

Emily Cady has led NU’s barrage on the boards with 9.5 rebounds per game. Cady carries 11 double-digit rebound games of her own, including a career-high-matching 16 against Purdue on Jan. 19. She added 14 boards against Southern, 13 against Indiana, Minnesota and Washington State, 12 at Michigan State, 11 rebounds against Ohio State, Wisconsin and Alabama, and 10 against Utah State, Illinois and Northwestern. She ranks third overall in the Big Ten in rebounding, including 10.4 boards in conference play.

Jordan Hooper has added 9.2 rebounds per game, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Hooper owns 15 rebounds against Creighton, 14 against Washington State and Utah State, 13 against Alabama and Iowa, 12 at Utah, 11 against UCLA and ORU, and 10 against Minnesota, Northwestern and UMass-Lowell.

Nebraska’s returning front line of Hooper, Cady and Hailie Sample have combined to average 24.8 rebounds per game, as Sample ranks 16th in the league with 6.1 boards per game.

Free Throws Pay Off Big For Big RedNebraska has outscored its first 25 opponents by an average of 15.4-7.5 (+7.9 ppg) at the free throw line. The Huskers have made 385 free throws, compared to just 188 by their opponents. The Huskers are shooting 78.9 percent at the line as a team, which leads the Big Ten.

Last season, Nebraska produced the second-best team free throw percentage in school history (.755).

For the season, Nebraska has outscored the opposition by a total of 329 points, with 197 of those coming at the free throw line.

Emily Cady (.853, 110-129) ranks eighth in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, while Rachel Theriot ranks third in the Big Ten with her .898 (53-59) accuracy at the stripe.

Huskers More Than Fair in Foul DepartmentNebraska’s dominance at the free throw line starts with the Huskers winning the fight in the foul department. NU leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally by committing just 13.6 fouls per game.

While the Huskers barely put their opponents in the bonus each game, they consistently force double-bonus free throw situations by the opposition. Nebraska’s opponents are averaging 18.9 fouls per game against the Big Red.

Nebraska’s plus-5.3 differential in fouls per game and its 78.9 percent free throw shooting has allowed the Big Red to outscore its opponents by 197 points at the line this season (7.9 ppg).

Nebraska has continued a non-fouling trend from last season. The Huskers were whistled for just 12.8 fouls per game last season, including 11 fouls per game in Big Ten regular-season games.

@RachTheRiot Wreaking Havoc on Opposing DefensesRachel Theriot has emerged as one of the top young point guards in the nation in 2013-14. The 6-0 sophomore is averaging 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game. She has been even better in Big Ten play averaging 15.5 points and 7.4 assists, while adding 3.5 rebounds per game and leading the Big Ten with 39.5 minutes per game. Last season, All-American Lindsey Moore averaged 15.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Theriot has produced a pair of double-doubles in Big Ten play, including 11 points and 11 assists in NU’s win at Wisconsin Feb. She notched her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 assists in Nebraska’s home game against Michigan on Jan. 29. She just missed another double-double with nine points, a career-high 12 assists and five rebounds in NU’s win over No. 24 Michigan State Feb. 8.

On Jan. 16 against Minnesota, Theriot scored a career-high 33 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 three-pointers, while knocking down all eight of her free throws. She hit Nebraska’s final two free throws with 14.9 seconds left to seal an 88-85 overtime win over the Gophers. Theriot scored 21 points after halftime and played a career-high 45 minutes in the game. She dished out a then-career-high nine assists and did not commit a turnover.

She added another nearly flawless effort with 23 points, six rebounds, eight assists, two steals, a block and no turnovers in Nebraska’s 76-61 win over Indiana Feb. 16. Theriot followed with 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Huskers’ win at Ohio State Feb. 20.

Earlier this season, Theriot erupted for a then-career-high 28 points, while matching her career best with seven rebounds in NU’s 75-69 win at Utah on Nov. 15. She added four assists while going a career-best 8-for-8 at the free throw line. She scored 19 points and had five rebounds in the second half, while going 6-for-6 at the line in the game’s final 35 seconds to seal the victory.

In Nebraska’s Big Ten-opening win over Northwestern, Theriot produced game highs of 19 points and eight assists while committing just one turnover. She added six rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot while playing the full 40 minutes. She also hit two huge shot-clock buzzer-beaters late in the second half and grabbed NU’s final defensive rebound. She scored a team-high 19 points and added four assists while playing the full 40 minutes against Purdue on Jan. 19. She hit two free throws in a one-and-one situation with 27.9 seconds left to tie the game at 75.

Theriot added 11 points, six assists and a blocked shot for the third straight game in NU’s win at Illinois on Jan. 12. It followed an 11-point, eight-assist night at Michigan State Jan. 9, when she tied a career high with three three-pointers. Theriot has scored in double figures 18 times this season.

Theriot pumped in 17 points and dished out five assists in a win over Alabama, after distributing a career-high nine assists in the season-opening victory over UCLA. She had 13 points and eight assists in a win over Southern Nov. 24, before adding 10 points, six rebounds and six assists against Washington State, Nov. 30. Theriot contributed 12 points and five assists in a loss at No. 18 North Carolina on Dec. 4, before producing 11 points, four rebounds and eight assists in the win over Utah State Dec. 8.

As a starter at shooting guard as a freshman, the Middleburg Heights, Ohio, native averaged 6.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game and earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors.

Laudermill on a Tear in Big Ten PlayIn her first season as a starter, junior Tear’a Laudermill is emerging as one of the most explosive players in the Big Ten in conference action. The 5-9 guard from Riverside, Calif., is averaging 12.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 steals in conference play.

She has been at her best during NU’s current seven-game winning streak, averaging 14.4 points while hitting 2.6 three-pointers per game.

Laudermill’s production has steadily increased throughout her Husker career in a similar way that former Husker All-Big 12 guard and current professional Yvonne Turner grew during her career. Laudermill averaged 4.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game as a freshman, before contributing 5.9 points and 1.8 boards per game as a sophomore.

Over the last nine games Laudermill has been on fire, averaging 14.8 points on 48.9 percent shooting from the field, including 50 percent (23-of-46) from three-point range. She scored a career-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-6 threes in a win at Iowa on Feb. 1, before adding her second career 20-point effort with 21 points and a career-high threes in a 71-70 OT win at Wisconsin on Feb. 5.

It followed a career-high-matching 18 points in a win over Michigan on Jan. 29, after she set her career high with 18 points at Northwestern on Jan. 26. She added her sixth straight game with 14 or more points by hitting for 15 on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range in the win over No. 24 Michigan State Feb. 8. She also went 4-for-4 at the free throw line against the Spartans.

The most notable jump though has come in Laudermill’s efficiency. As a freshman in 2011-12, Laudermill shot just 27 percent from the field and 52.4 percent at the free line. As a sophomore, Laudermill hit 35.1 percent of her shots from the field and 73.8 percent of her free throws. This season, she is shooting 44.5 percent from the field, including 38.8 percent from long range, and a sparkling 84 percent at the line.

NCAA Lincoln Regional All-Session Tickets Selling StrongThe University of Nebraska was awarded one of four regional host sites for the 2014 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, announced by the NCAA on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The Huskers will host the four-team regional at Pinnacle Bank Arena in downtown Lincoln, March 29 and 31.

All-session tickets went on sale to the general public on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 8 a.m., and sales have been strong, more than 4,200 as of Monday, Feb. 17.

All-session reserved seats are $40, while all-session general admission seating is available for just $25 over three games. The GA seats include lower level seats behind each basket (sections 101 and 112), along with 200 and 300 Level seats. Student tickets are available for just $15 ($5 per game if purchased in advance, all-session).

“It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Nebraska women’s basketball program, and the NCAA Regional announcement just keeps that building,” Coach Connie Yori said. “We’ve got a long way to go as a team before we can even think about the possibility of getting back to the Sweet 16 this year, but it is certainly a great opportunity for men’s and women’s basketball fans to have a chance to watch college basketball being played at a really high level at the end of March in Lincoln.”

The last time the University of Nebraska served as a host for the an NCAA men’s or women’s basketball tournament came on March 17, 1993, when the Husker women defeated San Diego, 81-58, in the first round at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. It is the only game the Nebraska women’s basketball team has ever played on its home court in the NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA Women’s Final Four will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., April 6-8.

Huskers Sign Top Recruiting Class in School HistoryA five-player signing class and a talented walk-on who received other NCAA Division I scholarship offers have given Nebraska the best recruiting class in school history - coming in at No. 9 in ESPN’s class rankings on Nov. 21.

Each of Nebraska’s scholarship recruits ranked among the top 25 nationally by ESPN at their position. Tennessee Class 2-AA Player of the Year Jasmine Cincore, Kansas Class 4A Player of the Year Kaylee Page, California prep stars Natalie Romeo and Darrien Washington, and Washington High School standout Chandler Smith will join Coach Connie Yori’s Huskers. Emily Wood, a walk-on from Salina, Kan., completed the six-player NU freshman class for 2014-15.

Smith, a 6-0 guard from Washington, signed her letter of intent Monday, Nov. 18, after being ranked as the No. 62 player in the nation by ESPN. Her addition propelled the Huskers up seven spots in ESPN’s class rankings for 2014. Page and Romeo headline the Husker class. The 6-2 Page was ranked No. 42 nationally by ESPN, while Romeo was No. 55. Romeo, a 5-7 point guard from the Bay Area, has been ranked as high as the No. 27 player overall nationally by Full Court Press.

Romeo’s club teammate, the 6-2 Washington, was ranked as the No. 16 post player in the nation by ESPN, while Cincore was ranked as ESPN’s No. 24 point guard in the 2014 class, despite being projected as a combo guard for the Huskers.

“We are excited about the potential of this recruiting class, and we hope all six players have outstanding senior seasons in high school this year,” Yori said. “We have built quite a bit of momentum in recruiting the past few years and this class is part of it.”

Nebraska’s previous top recruiting class, which came with current Husker juniors Emily Cady, Hailie Sample, Tear’a Laudermill and Brandi Jeffery, was ranked No. 24 nationally in November of 2010.

Nebraska’s six newcomers will be expected to replace the loss of Jordan Hooper, a two-time All-American who is the only senior on the Huskers’ 11-player roster in 2013-14.

Page, a 6-2 senior at Wamego High School in Kansas, was ranked as the No. 13 wing/shooting guard nationally by ESPN. She averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.3 blocked shots, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game as a junior. A gifted shooter, Page knocked down 57 three-pointers for the Red Raiders in 2012-13. She helped Wamego to the Kansas Class 4A state championship while playing for her father, Jim Page, who was the Kansas Coach of the Year.

Romeo, ESPN’s No. 12 point guard nationally as a four-year starter at Carondelet High School in California, averaged 21.4 points, 6.7 assists and 6.3 steals per game as a junior to help the Cougars to the North Coast Section Division II title for the third consecutive season. Along the way, she earned East Bay Athletic League MVP and Nor Cal Prep Player-of-the-Year honors in 2012-13, helping Carondelet to a top 20 national ranking as a team. Romeo has been a starter for one of the premier club programs in the nation, the Cal Stars Elite, since she was an eighth grader. As a member of the Cal Stars program, Romeo has earned all-tournament or MVP honors at 16 national tournaments.

Smith’s signing brought even more talent to the Husker 2014 class. Smith plays point guard for her high school and club teams, but was ranked as the No. 18 wing in the country by ESPN. The 6-0 guard from Brewster High School in Washington, averaged 21.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 4.2 steals as a junior to lead the Bears to a Class 1A state championship. She had 26 points and 10 rebounds in the 2013 state title game, after producing 35 points and 12 boards in the 2012 Class 2B championship game.

Cincore brings more athleticism and strength to the perimeter for the Huskers. The 5-8 guard will add a gritty defensive presence along with an expanding offensive game to the NU backcourt. As a junior at Briarcrest Christian in 2012-13, Cincore averaged 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals per game while leading her team to the state semifinals.

Washington adds size and potential to the Nebraska inside game. The 6-2 Washington plays at Skyline High School in the Bay Area and on the Cal Stars Elite. She is relatively new to basketball, but brings excellent athleticism to the court.

Wood, a 5-5 guard from Salina Central High School, turned down scholarship offers from Harvard and Dartmouth and Western Illinois to walk-on at Nebraska. She is a two-time Kansas Class 5A all-state selection and averaged 11.2 points and 2.3 assists per game as a junior. She has hit 132 career three-pointers as a three-year starter at Salina Central.

Huskers Honor All-American Griffin with Jersey RetirementThe Nebraska women’s basketball program added another name and number to its wall of honor inside the new Pinnacle Bank Arena - and this one is a legend.

Kelsey Griffin, one of the most accomplished Huskers both on and off the court in program history, was honored by Nebraska with the retirement of her No. 23 jersey on Wednesday, Jan. 29, in pregame ceremonies before Huskers defeated Michigan. She joined 1993 Wade Trophy Winner and CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Famer Karen Jennings (No. 51) and 1988 Big Eight Player-of-the-Year Maurtice Ivy (No. 30) among Nebraska’s retired jersey honorees.

Griffin made the 28-hour flight from Australia to Lincoln in the middle of her professional season. She watched her first Nebraska game in person since graduating in the spring of 2010. She was joined on the court by family and friends from Australia, Alaska and California. Griffin spoke to the Huskers briefly before the game, then sat on the bench with the team as the Big Red put on their best all-around performance of the season in the win over the Wolverines.

Griffin, a first-team All-American on the court and a national player-of-the-year finalist in 2010, became the face of Nebraska women’s basketball for five seasons (2006-10). The lightly recruited 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska, powered Nebraska’s rise to national prominence by earning three first-team All-Big 12 Conference awards.

Griffin also led Nebraska to a trio of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Her final season as a Husker, she etched a permanent place in Husker history as part of a six-player senior class that led Nebraska to an unbeaten regular season (29-0), 30 consecutive victories, a Big 12 Conference regular-season title and Nebraska’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Sweet 16. She captured Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors while leading NU to a 32-2 final record that included a 16-0 Big 12 mark.

She ranks No. 4 on Nebraska’s all-time scoring list with 2,033 points, while ranking No. 3 in the Husker record book with 1,019 career rebounds. Griffin and Jennings were the only players in Nebraska history with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, until All-American Jordan Hooper joined the elite list by the end of the game. Hooper pulled down her 1,000th career rebound with just over four minutes left in the game, then sat next to Griffin on the Husker bench for the remainder of the contest.

Griffin also set Nebraska’s career record with 40 double-doubles in her four years on the court in Lincoln. Her 127 career starts rank No. 2 in school history. As a senior, Griffin averaged 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, including 20 double-doubles. She also earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team by notching 60 steals, 26 blocked shots and took a remarkable 29 charges on the year.

Griffin was NU’s first-ever winner of the Senior CLASS Award, recognizing her achievements in the community and the classroom, while honoring her character and success in competition. She was honored as Nebraska’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year in 2009-10, before earning the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft.

Griffin earned a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team with the Connecticut Sun in 2010. She completed her fourth professional season with the Sun in 2013, starting all 34 games and averaging career bests of 8.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. In her four-year WNBA career, she has played in 133 games with 61 starts for Connecticut. Griffin also has played professionally in Hungary, Israel and most recently for the Bendigo Spirit in Australia’s WNBL. In 2012-13, Griffin led the Spirit to the WNBL title and was named the MVP of the championship series. She has returned to Australia for the 2013-14 campaign, where she is averaging 12.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while playing alongside former Husker teammate and 2012 Olympian Chelsea Aubry.

Hooper Powers Team USA to Gold at World University GamesNebraska’s Jordan Hooper scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds while making her first international start, powering the USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team to a 90-71 victory in the gold medal game on July 15.

Hooper, a 6-2 senior forward from Alliance, Neb., erupted in her first USA start, pouring in five points, including the game’s first three-pointer, to go along with three early rebounds to fuel the U.S. team’s 13-3 lead to open the game. She also played a major role defensively in helping the United States to its third straight World University Games gold medal.

Hooper scored seven first-quarter points to help the USA take a 22-13 lead at the end of the quarter. She played the entire first period and finished with 31 minutes in the game. In the tournament, Hooper finished with 6.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game, giving her per 40-minute averages of 16.6 points and 14.9 boards.

Hooper started the second quarter on the bench, and while she was out, the Russian team quickly trimmed the USA margin to 25-21 with 7:46 left in the first half.

Hooper immediately returned to the court and helped shut out the Russians for the next three minutes to ignite a 7-0 USA run. Hooper’s offensive rebound and assist to Crystal Bradford (Central Michigan) in the corner for a three-pointer, gave the USA a 38-25 lead with 2:43 left in the half. It was the first of back-to-back threes by Bradford in a 45-second stretch to send the U.S. squad to halftime with a 41-27 lead. With Hooper keying the defense, the USA allowed six points in the final seven-plus minutes of the half.

Nebraska’s two-time All-American played every minute of the third quarter. She again keyed a U.S. defense that helped the team build a 68-47 lead at the end of three quarters.

Hooper’s final bucket came with 7:30 left in the game, giving the USA a 75-55 lead.

2012-13 Nebraska Team Season Highlights• 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 (second appearance in last four years)

• 25 wins (second-highest victory total in school history) - 25-9 overall record

• Nebraska was one of 25 teams in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field with a perfect 100 percent graduation rate. NU has had a 100 percent grad rate in each of NU’s five tournament appearances under Coach Connie Yori.

Yori Captured Big Ten Coach-of-the-Year HonorsNebraska’s Connie Yori was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in voting by conference coaches for 2013. Yori captured her second conference coach-of-the-year award in the last four seasons and her first in the Big Ten. In 2012-13, Yori guided Nebraska to 10 straight conference wins, including a perfect February, as the Huskers finished with a 12-4 Big Ten mark as the regular-season runner-up.

Yori’s young squad overcame a plethora of injuries and a 2-3 Big Ten start to play for a share of the Big Ten title in the regular-season finale against No. 7 Penn State at the Devaney Center. Although Nebraska came up short against the Lady Lions, Yori’s team finished the regular season with a 22-7 overall record that included a Big Ten-best 7-1 road mark in conference play.

Yori captured Big 12 Coach-of-the-Year honors in 2010 on her way to WBCA, AP, USBWA, Naismith and Kay Yow National Coach-of-the-Year awards. She led the Huskers to the 2010 NCAA Sweet Sixteen after capturing the Big 12 regular-season title with a perfect 16-0 record. The 2009-10 Huskers, which featured first-team All-American Kelsey Griffin and first-team All-Big 12 picks Cory Montgomery and Yvonne Turner, finished with a 32-2 overall record.

Before becoming Nebraska’s head coach in 2002-03, Yori claimed Missouri Valley Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors in her final season at Creighton in 2002. In Yori’s first 11 seasons as NU’s coach, her Huskers have earned a total of 32 all-conference awards (10 first team, 2 second team, 11 honorable mention, 5 freshmen, 4 defensive).

Nebraska’s History of Success at HomeNebraska has opened the Pinnacle Bank Arena era with an 14-2 home record in 2013-14, including its first win over an AP Top 25 team with a 76-56 win over No. 24 Michigan State on Feb. 8.

The Huskers played the first regular-season basketball game in the history of the arena against USA Today No. 25 UCLA (Nov. 8) and rolled to a 77-49 win over the Bruins. NU added a 62-48 victory over Alabama (Nov. 11), a 78-55 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 21), an 87-64 win over Southern (Nov. 24) and a 77-42 victory over UMass-Lowell (Nov. 27).

NU lost its first-ever game to Washington State (76-72) at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Nov. 30, but bounced back with a 95-75 win over Utah State on Dec. 8. The Huskers added a 63-38 win over Creighton on Dec. 14, before rolling to an 87-53 win over South Dakota on Dec. 21 and an 89-53 victory over Oral Roberts on Dec. 29. NU won its first-ever Big Ten home game with a 66-65 thriller over Northwestern Jan. 2, and an 88-85 overtime win over Minnesota on Jan. 16. It marked the first overtime game in Pinnacle Bank Arena history. NU suffered its first home Big Ten loss with a 77-75 setback on a last-second shot against No. 22 Purdue on Jan. 19. The Huskers bounced back with an 84-51 win over Michigan on Jan. 29, before pounding the Spartans 76-56 on Feb. 8. NU added a 76-61 win over Indiana Feb. 16.

The Huskers have improved to 402-132 (.753) all-time at home. The Huskers have gone 138-36 (.793) over the last 11 seasons at home, posting double-figure home victory totals in each of the last 11 seasons, including 14-2 in 2013-14. NU went a perfect 16-0 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2009-10.

Nebraska played in the Devaney Center from 1976-77 through 2012-13, posting a 388-130 record, including 146-88 (.624) mark in conference play. NU went 13-4 at home in 2012-13.

Big Ten Network Provides Major Exposure for HuskersFor the third consecutive season, Nebraska expects to have every regular-season and postseason game available in national television/video form for Husker fans to follow all the action.

In 2013-14, at least seven regular-season Nebraska women’s basketball games will be televised live nationally by the Big Ten Network, including each of NU’s first five Big Ten Conference contests. An eighth regular-season game (Illinois, Feb. 27) could be picked up by BTN, and Nebraska’s early round games in the Big Ten Conference Tournament also will be televised by BTN.

If the Huskers can advance to the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis, that game will be televised by ESPN. It would give Nebraska three appearances on the ESPN family of networks in just over two weeks, following a Feb. 24 clash with Penn State and NU’s regular-season finale at Purdue on March 2. Both those games will be televised live nationally by ESPN2. Nebraska’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge game at North Carolina on Dec. 4 was streamed live world-wide by ESPN3.

Nebraska’s first nationally televised game of the season came at Utah on Nov. 15, when the Huskers appeared on the Pac-12 Network. NU made two appearances on Nebraska Educational Television (NET) in 2013-14. The first game in the history of Pinnacle Bank Arena appeared on NET when the Huskers battled the UCLA Bruins on Nov. 8. Nebraska was back on NET again against Michigan on Jan. 29.

Both of Nebraska’s NET games were streamed live to the Big Ten Digital Network (BTDN aka BTN.com All-Access). Throughout the season, BTDN will provide video streams to at least 16 games for BTN.com All-Access subscribers.

Nebraska’s inaugural exhibition game at Pinnacle Bank Arena against Pittsburg State on Oct. 29 was streamed live for free on Huskers.com. NU’s Nov. 30 game with Washington State also was streamed live on Huskers.com.

For the first time in school history in 2011-12, all 33 games played by the Huskers were delivered by national television or live video streams to Husker fans. In 2012-13, Nebraska enjoyed its highest level of national TV exposure in school history, while adding two outstanding alternative video streaming sources. NU’s game with Duke was the 34th game of 2012-13 available world-wide to fans and the 16th nationally televised game. It was NU’s fourth game on ESPN2. The Huskers had 10 nationally televised games on the Big Ten Network, one on CBS and one on the Pac-12 Network.

The Big Ten Network distributed 10 other Nebraska women’s basketball games through live video streams on BTN.com, including two that were televised live in the state of Nebraska by NET. HuskersNside, the live video area on Huskers.com, took care of the rest of NU’s games in 2012-13.

Husker Sports Network, Huskers.com Carries NU World-WideThe Husker Sports Network enters its 20th season of producing and marketing the live broadcasts of Nebraska women’s basketball in 2013-14. Women’s basketball play-by-play announcer Matt Coatney and color commentator Jeff Griesch are in their 13th season together as the Huskers’ broadcast team.

The Husker Sports Network and Nebraska women’s basketball have teamed up for well over a decade to take every game, home and away, around the world for free on Huskers.com.

In addition to carrying every women’s basketball game free on Huskers.com, the Husker Sports Network flagship stations B107.3 FM-KBBK (Lincoln) and The Wolf 93.3 FM-KFFF (Omaha) provide strong FM signals for Husker women’s basketball and volleyball. 880-AM-KRVN (Lexington) also provides a huge AM signal statewide in central Nebraska, while more than 20 stations have joined the Husker Sports Network’s women’s basketball coverage across the state.

Fastbreakers Offer Travel Opportunities to Follow HuskersThe Fastbreakers Nebraska Women’s Basketball Booster Club has offereda pair of opportunities to follow the Huskers on the road this season.

The first trip was organized is for Nebraska’s Feb. 1 showdown with Iowa in Iowa City, which resulted in an 80-67 victory, with hundreds of Husker fans on hand at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The second trip will join the Huskers at the 2014 Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, March 6-9.

For complete information on the travel opportunities, visit the Nebraska women’s basketball home page on Huskers.com and click on “Fastbreakers Travel” in the right side menu options. Fans can also e-mail Gary Schuster at gary@totalteamtravel.com.Fastbreakers Prepare for More Fun with Pregame PartiesThe Fastbreakers Women’s Basketball Booster Club set the dates for four Pregame Parties in Lincoln for the 2013-14 season.

With the new development in the Haymarket District, the Fastbreakers invite fans to take a tour of some of the new restaurants in the area at these fun new events. Each Pregame Party began two hours prior to the tip-off for select games, and wrapped up 30 minutes before the game, allowing fans to get to their seats in time for the game.

Pregame Parties featured great food and drink specials at each location, lots of door prizes, and a different Husker spirit item provided for each fan in attendance. There was no cost to attend (food and drink will be available for purchase), and no RSVP was required. At season’s end, fans had the opportunity to vote for their favorite location, where next year’s events will be held.

The first Pregame Party was held on Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Courtyard Marriott Bistro, just two blocks from Pinnacle Bank Arena. The party began at 5 p.m., prior to the game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which tipped off at 7 p.m. The second Pregame Party was held on Sunday, Dec. 8 (game vs. Utah State). NU’s third Pregame Party was Thursday, Jan. 16 (game vs. Minnesota), and the final one was Saturday, Feb. 8 (game vs. Michigan State).

Locations were announced on Huskers.com, Twitter, Facebook and at Husker Women’s Basketball games. Questions can be directed to the Huskers Athletic Fund at (402) 472-2367 or 800-8-BIG RED, or at athleticfund@huskers.com.

Husker Home Attendance Surging Toward 100,000Through 16 home games, the Huskers have attracted 96,159 fans including 10 of the top-16 largest home non-conference crowds in school history. NU has drawn 5,000 or more fans for 12 of its first 16 home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena, including seven of 10 home non-conference games. The Big Red drew only five home non-conference crowds of 5,000 or more in 37 seasons at the Devaney Center.

Nebraska’s total home attendance of 96,159 ranks No. 9 nationally, while NU’s average home attendance of 6,010 ranks 10th.

Nebraska attracted almost 15,000 fans to Pinnacle Bank Arena in its season-opening weekend, including a non-conference school-record crowd of 9,750 for a season-opening win over UCLA on Nov. 8. The Huskers added a crowd of 4,924 for a Veterans Day win over Alabama on Nov. 11.

The 14,674 fans over two games nearly matched the 15,221 fans who attended Nebraska’s eight home non-conference games in Coach Connie Yori’s first season in 2002-03.

Nebraska’s average home attendance of 5,658 marked the best single-season non-conference average in school history, crushing the 4,049 fans per game the Huskers averaged during home non-conference action in 2012-13. With just one more home non-conference game than a year ago, the Big Red attracted 20,139 more fans than last season (36,436), which was also a school non-conference record.

Growing interest in Nebraska women’s basketball is not new. In fact, 13 of the 21 largest non-conference home crowds in school history have come over the last 21 non-conference home games for the Big Red.

Game One Featured Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep RallyGame One presented by Ameritas at Pinnacle Bank Arena featured more than just a top-25 showdown between the Nebraska and UCLA women’s basketball teams on Nov. 8.

The special day-long celebration of the regular-season openers for both the Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball teams at their new downtown arena tipped off with an energy-filled pep rally featuring an all-star cast of speakers and entertainers.

The Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally on the morning of Nov. 8 on the new home court of the Huskers reached more than 4,500 middle-school youth from nearly 50 schools across Nebraska.

Students from Centennial to Crete, Norris to North Bend Central, Seward to Sandy Creek and Wahoo to Wilber-Clatonia joined students from several private schools in Lincoln for a morning of motivational messages and exciting basketball action.

The sportsmanship pep rally, which was organized with assistance from the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame, included messages from nationally recognized speakers.

The Huskers’ tip time was moved to noon to accommodate the students’ attendance at the pep rally and their return to their home schools.

Comeback Over Gophers One of Largest in Husker HistoryNebraska’s 88-85 comeback win over Minnesota in OT on Jan. 16, came after trailing by 14 points with 13:40 left to tie for the second-largest second-half deficit overcome by a Connie Yori-coached Husker team.

In Yori’s first season, the Huskers trailed by five at half, then 19 in the second half but came back to win 62-61 at San Diego on Dec. 28, 2002. In 2007-08, Nebraska trailed by eight at half and 14 in the second half before Kesley Griffin rallied the Huskers for a 73-67 win at Missouri on Feb. 3, 2008.

Double-digit comebacks are nothing new to the Huskers under Coach Yori. In fact, the win over Minnesota marked the 16th time in Yori’s 12 seasons at Nebraska that the Huskers have overcome a double-digit deficit to win. In 2011-12, the Huskers overcame double-digit deficits five times to earn wins.

However, it was only the eighth time the team trailed by double digits in the second half and won.

Nebraska Overtime Facts• Nebraska is 20-18 all-time in overtime games, including 11-9 at home, 6-6 in true road games and 3-3 on neutral courts in overtime. The Huskers are 2-0 in overtime this season with both games coming in Big Ten play (Minnesota, Jan. 19; at Wisconsin, Feb. 5).

• Nebraska is 7-4 all-time in 12 seasons under Coach Connie Yori in overtime, including 4-2 at home and 1-0 in Pinnacle Bank Arena. Yori-coached Husker teams are 1-1 in double-overtime and 2-0 in triple overtime.

• Nebraska is 4-1 in multi-overtime games, including 2-1 since 2005-06. The lone loss came to Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game, 74-70 in double-overtime in 2012.

• NU’s last overtime contest came with a 71-70 victory at Wisconsin on Feb. 5. She Huskers also defeated Minnesota 88-85 in overtime on Jan. 16. It marked the first overtime game in the history of Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska’s first overtime game in the history of the Bob Devaney Sports Center also came against Minnesota - a 68-67 win for the Huskers on Dec. 30, 1977.

• Nebraska has never played back-to-back overtime games at home. The Huskers have played back-to-back overtime games only once in school history, an 83-81 loss to Texas A&M in College Station on Dec. 30, 1985, before returning to Lincoln for an 80-75 win over Eastern Kentucky at the Devaney Center on Jan. 2, 1986.

• Nebraska’s most frequent overtime opponent is Purdue. The Huskers and Boilermakers have played three overtime games in five all-time meetings, all coming in the past three seasons. NU’s six total overtimes against Purdue are also the most against any team in school history. In 10 all-time games with Wisconsin, the Huskers have also played three overtime contests, including the 71-70 win over the Badgers on Feb. 5. It was NU’s first OT win against UW. The Huskers also battled Missouri in three single-overtime games among the 71 all-time contests in that series.

• The Huskers have played nine all-time overtime games against Big Ten opponents and own a 4-5 record, including 2-0 this season. NU is 3-2 against Big Ten opponents since joining the conference for the start of the 2011-12 season.